By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday said that the terrorists who attacked Mumbai, killing over 100 people, were “based outside the country”.
In an address to the nation, telecast live by state-run television, he said the attackers “had come with a determination to create havoc in the commercial capital of India”.
Without naming any country, he said New Delhi would take up with its neighbours the use of their territory to launch attacks on India and that this “will not be tolerated”.
“We will take a number of measures to strengthen the hands of our police and intelligence agencies,” he said, and vowed to “go after individuals and organisations” involved in the audacious terrorist strike.
Manmohan Singh’s address came a day after a large number of terrorists sneaked into Mumbai by sea and targeted about a dozen sites including two five star hotels, killing over 100 people and injuring 250 people.
He said the killings and injuries had “deeply shocked the nation”.
“I strongly condemn the senseless violence against the innocent people.” He said the terror attack was meant to create a sense of panic “by choosing high profile targets”.
He promised that the government would take care of the medical expenses of the injured.
“I salute the courage of the police officers” who died fighting the terrorists, he added.
Manmohan Singh promised to bring about police reforms and to tighten existing laws and said the National Security Act “will be employed to deal with situations of this kind”.
“We are not prepared to countenance a situation whereby the safety and security of the citizens is violated (by terrorists).”
Most importantly, a federal agency will be set up to go into terrorist crimes of this kind, he said.
The prime minister also urged Indians to maintain peace and harmony “in this hour of crisis”.